The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Review

Another week, another book review!

Between sips of coffee and the beautiful chaos of everyday life, I’ve been finding refuge in stories. Here’s another one that left me thinking long after I turned the last page. The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, part of the Black Stars series featuring cosmic short stories by different African authors. I picked this one up in February and, given that it’s by one of my literary favorites, naturally, I had to read it. It’s also the first in the series, which made it an easy choice to start with.

This might be a short read, but the topic is one that’s sure to ruffle some feathers, and I’m not one to shy away from such thought-provoking stories, lol. Sometimes the most uncomfortable conversations are the ones that push us toward growth. Stories like this remind us why it’s important to shed light on the issues we’d rather not talk about because the younger generations are watching, listening, and learning from the narratives we choose to share. If we want a more balanced and empathetic world, we can’t keep quiet about the things that make us uneasy.

From the first few pages, I was hooked. The book takes a sharp, witty look at society by flipping gender roles completely. Women hold power here: they work, lead, and provide, while men stay home to care for the children, constantly kept under surveillance and subject to the whims of powerful women. It is society turned upside down, and it’s brilliantly done.

The story follows two friends: Eze, who is a single, cautious rebel who moved to the U.S. after his university days, and Obinna, a dutiful stay-at-home husband and father, married to a powerful businesswoman. But Eze’s arrival unsettles the delicate balance in Obinna’s world.

Chimamanda uses humor and irony to expose how absurd our real-world expectations can be when reversed. The conversations between the two friends are filled with clever satire, and even though it’s a short read, it’s packed with moments that make you pause and think.

I loved how Chimamanda turns familiar arguments on their head with lines like, “Men don’t think clearly when they’re emotional. That’s why they shouldn’t be in charge.” It’s biting, funny, and painfully true when you realize how often such reasoning is used against women in real life.

In The Visit, the world feels absurd only because it mirrors ours — one where equality still feels like fiction. Chimamanda reminds us that “culture does not make people, people make culture.” The Visit is a witty reminder that power and gender capability are human constructs, and that maybe, just maybe, it’s time we look at things differently.

That’s all for today’s read!

Have you read this one yet?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and as always, thank you so much for reading.

Until next time,

Natu Shimike ~ Kalaba 🌸